prijava
SARAJEVO, September 12 (FENA) - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH and Minister of Finance and Treasury Vjekoslav Bevanda and Director of the Department for Transport of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Sue Berrett today in Sarajevo signed a loan agreement worth 180 million euros for the construction of two sections of the motorway and the Ivan Tunnel on the Corridor 5C.
Under an agreement signed today, the EBRD is providing 180 million euros sovereign loan to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the construction of three new sections of the Corridor 5C in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a total length of approximately 15.8 kilometers.
The loan will be provided in two tranches as follows:
Tranche 1 of up to €120 million to co-finance with the European Investment Bank (EIB) the construction of a motorway section from Poprikuša to Nemila; and to finance the construction of the Ivan Tunnel;
Tranche 2 of up to €60 million to finance the construction of a motorway section from the Mostar South Interchange to the Kvanj Tunnel.
“Along with these investments in the construction of motorways and tunnels, I must mention that the project includes consulting services and technical assistance,” said Minister Bevanda.
He said that this loan arrangement is accompanied with significant European Union grant funds in the amount of 11.8 million euros intended for the construction of the Ivan Tunnel, which, in his words, should be approved by the end of the year.
Bevanda said that the beneficiaries of the loan, the FBiH Motorways, should complete the tender procedures as soon as possible and successfully complete the works on the new motorway sections through Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The loan will be paid in two tranches. The first worth 120 million euros will be used to fund the construction of the Ivan Tunnel and the section in the north, and is co-financed by the European Investment Bank.
The funds for the first tranche will immediately be made available, and the second tranche of 60 million euros will be used to finance the sections south of Mostar, and will be made available next year,” confirmed the Director of the EBRD Transport Department Sue Berrett.
Head of the European Union Delegation to BiH Lars-Gunnar Wigemark pointed out that this is a loan issued under favorable conditions, which means that the interest is the lowest possible.
The repayment period for the loan is 15 years, including four years of grace period for the repayment of principal.
On this occasion, Minister of Finance and Treasury of BiH Vjekoslav Bevanda commented on the statement of FBiH Prime Minister Fadil Novalić that the Federation of BiH was damaged by 32 million KM from tolls due to the decision of the Board of Directors of the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH on the allocation of funds from excise tax.
“The Law on Excise Tax, which includes this road toll, was adopted under the agreement between the RS Prime Minister Željka Cvijanović and the Federation of BiH Prime Minister Fadil Novalić. We all know very well how the process of ratification went in the both Houses of the Parliament, and we would not be sitting here and we would not have received these loans for the Corridor 5C, because all the major creditors have declared the entity motorway construction companies to be non-liquid and they asked for loan back guarantees. You are also aware of the stalemate we were in at that time,” said Bevanda.
Bevanda said that he resented Novalić for omitting to say that the interim decision of the Indirect Taxation Auhority of BiH envisages 10 percent of the funds that are reserved on the account until the entity authorities agree on the settlement.
(FENA) S. R.
